ships wheel

[j.sabourn]

Remember being on the wheel once standing there day dreaming and romancing to myself, the mate came in from the wing of the bridge saying your leaving a wake like a dogs leg, what do you think your doing, all you are doing is opening and closing a steam valve cant you do that. Took all the romance out of steering. JS

[j.sabourn]

Also remember on the advent of automatic steering it was claimed that a 5 degree snake that is going to 5 degrees either side of the course put on 5 to 10 miles on the distance per 100 miles, this in the advertising policy of the day would save the shipowner tremendously on fuel bills. Also the fact went from 3 in a watch to two. Later after the seamens strike in 66 went to one in a watch. Now is none I believe. That is progress 2014 style, what 2015 will bring in the Merchant Shipping Acts we await with bated breath. Suppose it depends on some university graduate on the brink of a degree in sociology or something to decide. JS

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Brian.
But look at the no of lifeboats you had compared to today's liners.
Cheers Des

[j.sabourn]

Des the best lifeboat 95 percent of the time is the ship you are on. After the PA I had nightmares of the official 37 survivors following the lead of the clown who shouted every man for himself and jumped overboard. The nightmare follows on of coming out of the inferno with no one but self and 4 crew. That would of been a disaster. Why should a thing like that happen, in this incidence was a lack of seamen on board having a controlling influence on same. There is nobody in any government or any other department on shipping will influence me into thinking that a machine or computer can do all of the jobs necessary on certain vessels .Human beings are a necessity if they really want to put action into words re. safety. Many speak with forked tongue ashore. Cheers JS

[Roger Dyer]

John, I agree with you completely. I am amazed that in this modern age there are not more ships and their crews lost at
sea. About 55 years ago I was sailing on small vessels of about 450 grt that carried a crew of ten men. It is my understanding that in this brave new world a crew of that size is sometimes deemed sufficient to man a ship a thousand times greater. Given that life-rafts, lifeboats etc are now far more sophisticated than they once were, perhaps there is greater need for same. With such few crew-members how do they cope in times of dire emergency, or is it that there now exists a far greater readiness to 'abandon ship' than would have been the case 50 years ago? The cost of insuring a ship nowadays must be immense.

.......Roger

[Roger Dyer]

Terry, to answer your question, like Don I was only required to do 10 hours, this as a Deck Boy on the 'Port Sydney' in 1957. I remember a feeling of immense pride when it was handed to me. I too placed it in the back of my D.B. where it remained for several years. It sure as h-ll ain't there now, don't know what became of it.

...........Roger

[john sutton]

heres minescan0001.jpgscan0001.jpg

[j.sabourn]

#60... John how do you transfer that cert. from your copier to the site. I am totally green on such. Can at times paste but haven't worked out how to transfer machine to machine, am just thick... Cheers JS

[john sutton]

#60... John how do you transfer that cert. from your copier to the site. I am totally green on such. Can at times paste but haven't worked out how to transfer machine to machine, am just thick... Cheers JS

I,ll have to ask the wife.She,s younger than me and understands these things
1 copyto pctures
2go to the row of icons and click onto an icon that says insert image and bobs your uncle.
if you send the fare I,ll send her over to sort it for you(just the post)

[j.sabourn]

#62... John if she is in receipt of a pension card and travels between 0900 and 1600 hrs. its free. Trying to figure out the long distance one, as nearest one for illegal immigrants is Indonesia or Sri Lanka. They haven't started a service from the Uk or is it Spain where you live, yet have they. Know theres plenty going in but don't know about the traffic coming out. Cheers JS